Representative Elijah Cummings, longstanding champion for the city of Baltimore and the State of Maryland, passed away early this morning at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was 68 years old. Cummings represented Maryland's 7th Congressional District for 23 years. A former trial attorney, he became a national figure in January of this year when he was appointed as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has ordered flags at…